Figure of the Day: Day 836: Battle Droid

BATTLE DROID Battlefront II
30th Anniversary Collection Previews Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87561 No. 87478
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, display stand, additional figures
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $39.99
Availability: Late 2007
Appearances: Star Wars: Battlefront II

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Bio: Many of the best known battle droids were those used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars. By the time of the Battle of Yavin, however, battle droids were extremely rare, most likely due to the Clone Wars, or because the Empire didn't want an army that could be easily built and used against it. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Commentary: While Battle Droids were introduced as the army builder of 1999, fans didn't really flock toward them. As time went on, the sculpts got a little flimsier and cheaper, to the point where they started packaging two of them in a set for a mere $7. (That's the mold they use here.) The figure's head, arms, and legs are removable and can be exchanged with any of at least a dozen different repaints of the figure, leading you to make your own freakish customized figures. (The limbs can also be swapped with a couple of C-3PO figures.) This one has a sort of weak brown camo pattern on it, and he carries the blaster originally sold with the Jet Pack Clone Trooper of 2005. The end result is a decent looking figure, but it's unfortunate that the figure doesn't have elbow joints or hands which are more conducive to gripping his weapon.

This is a figure for die-hards only-- if you love the games, love to collect all the droids, or just have to have everything, you'll love this. Other fans are best served with the regular Battle Droids 2-packs, which give you a bigger bang for the buck.

Collector's Notes: This set is still available, and as it isn't a wonderful deal, it's pretty easy to get. The set includes 2 more Battle Droids (different colors and guns), an Ammunition Droid, a Destroyer Droid, a Super Battle Droid, and a Magnaguard Droid. Most of the figures are, in some way, inferior to other releases. If you figure out what the set would cost as individual figures, you're looking at about $35 worth of product-- so it's hard to really say this is a good deal, as most multi-packs usually are.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 836: August 27, 2008